Our Response To False Teachers And False Prophets
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Secular -
Secular -
Did you know there are a lot of saying that have crept into the church which aren’t in the Bible?
"God helps those who help themselves."
"Cleanliness is next to godliness."
"In the last days, you will not be able to know the seasons except by the changing of the leaves."
"Money is the root of all evil."
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
"This too shall pass."
"The lion shall lay down with the lamb."
God left us the Bible as a written testimony of His Word. His truth is found in the Bible. Some sayings are simple rewordings of biblical truth, but others are dangerous heresy. Despite how clever or even edifying a quote may be, if it isn’t in the Bible, we have no guarantee that it is the Word of God. And the only way we’ll know is if we read the Bible.
Historical/Cultural Context -
Historical/Cultural Context -
The book of 1 John is one of the five books in the New Testament that was written by John the Apostle, brother of James. They were known as the sons of thunder. This letter was written between A.D. 85 to A.D. 100. First John was written to a church or group of churches in crisis—churches who were being attacked by false teaching. Some individuals who had once been associated with the church had accepted heresy and had left the church. After they left they continued to spread their false teaching to the church. They went so far as to organize and send out itinerant preachers to various churches with the goal of converting those in the churches to their beliefs. This created confusion and plunged the churches into crisis. In response to this situation, John wrote 1 John, following that up with 2 and 3 John. His goal was to stop this false teaching and to bring comfort to the Christians in these churches.
Biblical Text -
Biblical Text -
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
-[Prayer]-
-[Prayer]-
Life Principle - Abide In Christ, Identify And Avoid False Teachers In The Church.
Life Principle - Abide In Christ, Identify And Avoid False Teachers In The Church.
Life Point- There Are Many False Teachers In The Church
Life Point- There Are Many False Teachers In The Church
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
John is reminding the Church that they were living in the last days. We are still living in the last days.
Someone will say, “but pastor, how are we living in the last days? It has been 2,000 years?”
and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water,
by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.
But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
This does not mean a literally thousand years.
The point is that God will do things in His time, when He is ready.
Who are we to question God’s judgement and His time anyway?
Paul said
But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, “Why have you made me like this?”
John then tells us that the church has heard of the Anti-Christ that is coming, but he says many have come.
Who are these Anti-Christs?
These are those that look like they are right, maybe even having lying signs and wonders, but what they teach about the fundamentals of Christianity is not just wrong, but is heresy and as such will send them to hell.
These false teachers went out and changed what the Gospel means by their false teaching. They preached a different Christ than the one that is present in the Gospel and in our scriptures today.
They mix works with salvation.
They want what they can take from gullible unknowing people.
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
These teachers aren’t true believers in Christ for they change the idea of who Jesus is and His Gospel.
What is the true Gospel?
God condescended to become a mortal man
Born of a virgin
He never sinned
Did signs, wonders and miracles for his 3 years of ministry
proclaiming himself the son of God.
The second in the trinity
Went to death on a Roman cross for sin he didn’t commit.
My sin, your sin, and all of the sins of those who are being saved.
Then rose again on third day, declaring himself King of Kings & Lord of Lords.
He has the keys of victory over death, hell and the grave.
He now sits at the right hand of the Father waiting for the time when He will return to rule and reign over this earth.
How do we receive this gift of eternal life he now offers?
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
You cannot add works to salvation, for to do so is to deny the efficacy of the Gospel.
To do this is to slap God in the face and say, “sorry God but you’re not powerful enough to save me. You need my help.”\
Oh, how prideful this is!
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
This is the unwavering truth of the Gospel. If you don’t like it, I didn’t make it up take it up with the writer. God.
But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
The word for anointing in Greek is only found in the Bible twice, and this is one of them.
The word anointing here refers to not just the inward witness (which is subjective) but to the Bible as God’s Word.
You cannot, rightly, understand the scriptures without having the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit which all true believers possess.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
When it says that the Spirit will give you the ability to know all things, it does not mean all truth. John is referring to the fundamentals of the faith. The essentials of the Gospel.
When there is any teaching, any preacher or any false disciple who takes away from the true Gospel of Christ or adds to the Gospel in any way; Holy Spirit will let you know. Even if you can’t fully articulate it, you know when something isn’t quite right. Those red flags are often times Holy Spirit sending you a message to “look out!”
He writes not because they don’t know the truth, but because they do and he wants no confusion about the truth of God’s Word that is in them and God is con firming it to them through His letter.
For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
Whomever denies the essentials of the Gospel and Salvation, whether it be by subtraction or addition, denies Christ and does not have the father or the son abiding in them. They are unsaved and regenerate. They have a form of Godliness but do not know the true power of Jesus Christ.
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:
For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Illustration -
Illustration -
An elderly man in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough."
"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams.
"We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the old man says.
"We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her," and he hangs up.
Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "They're not getting divorced if I have anything to do about it," she shouts, "I'll take care of this."
She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at the old man, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.
The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife and says, "Okay, they're coming for Thanksgiving...now what do we tell them for Christmas?"
Life Point - Stay Away From False Teachers
Life Point - Stay Away From False Teachers
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
Because it is the last hour, because the Holy Spirit is in you; let the truth of the Word of God abide in you, and you will not fall for the false teachers and their teaching.
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
“Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.
For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
See, I have told you beforehand.
“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.
Some will say that this is talking only about the tribulation period, but that doesn’t line up. It is talking about the last days in general, including this time before the great Antichrist arises.
How do I know? Because it reads for false christs. Plural. Not just singular
And it says false prophets will rise. Again plural, not just singular.
Will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
It is remarkable to me how many good people get caught up in helping so-called “ministers” deceive people in their churches.
(Fake Gold Dust)
(Fake Healing Ministries) - You stopped believing at the altar and when you got up to leave the church you lost your healing.
Leg Shortening and growth
(Fake prophecies) - Here in lake county - Lisbon
(Prosperity Preaching) - The only ones becoming prosperous are the fake pastors
Benny Hinn divorced his wife and started going with a female minister who divorced her husband. Not only is he a fake, he is an adulterer, so is she.
(The Laughing Gospel movement) - This one was even condemned be a Bible Professor apart of the Assemblies of God.
There are many more false movements out there, that I won’t go into. Suffice-it-say, the one thing they all have in common is that they preach a special revelation, empowerment, anointing, or special knowledge that only God has given them.
People start talking rhetoric about God restoring something to the church or God giving them special knowledge, look out! Because without a doubt they are going to, if not already have, start to make Jesus look different than He actually is and in-so-doing they pervert the Gospel.
“Well, pastor those are hard words.” No, they are true words.
As a matter of fact, years ago I had a congregant leave my church because I pointed out where Joel Osteen is a heretic and a hypocrite.
They said I have no business judging these people. They would misquote, out of context I might add, Judge not, lest you be judged. Guess what, it is my job to warn the sheep of the danger near to them. To watch out for their spiritual care.
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
That is a massive, and sobering responsibility put on pastors. We do so with fear and trepidation before a Holy God. If we don’t woe to us!
As far as judging people who claim to be in the Church, universally speaking:
I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.
Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.
But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?
But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”
Because God’s Word abides in you. Because you have fellowship with the triune God and you have this anointing you do not need anyone to tell you another Gospel, or to explain a hidden understanding or knowledge. Because the Holy Spirit Guides you into all truth of the essentials of belief in the Gospel of Christ.
Illustration -
Illustration -
Life Point - Abide In Jesus’ Righteousness
Life Point - Abide In Jesus’ Righteousness
Exegetical -
Exegetical -
And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
Homiletical -
Homiletical -
Our Job, when it comes to false teachers and prophets, is to abide in God. To point out wrong teaching and wrong life choices to those in the church, in LOVE. So that they might repent and be restored to fellowship with God and His church. So that when he comes back we will have confidence before Him, knowing we have done our due diligence against false teaching. That we may not be ashamed.
Remember:
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
This goes for everyone, not just Timothy or the pastor. It goes for the church.
Do you want to hear, “Well done my good and faithful servant.” or just “well, you made it?”
If your unsure if something is a false teaching, maybe you haven’t heard something like it before. A sure fire way to know is examine the movements leaders. Does their lives line up with righteousness?
If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
How do we know what righteousness is today?
I am glad you asked.
The following scripture is our standard. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is grown almost involuntarily as you get closer and closer to the Word of God, which is Jesus
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Some teachers and teaching look good until you examine their fruit. Jesus even cursed a fig tree for this.
Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”
Illustration -
Illustration -
Life Principle– Abide In Christ, Identify And Avoid False Teachers In The Church.
Life Principle– Abide In Christ, Identify And Avoid False Teachers In The Church.
Call to Action – altar call….
Call to Action – altar call….